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TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, which are found on both sides of your face in front of each ear. The joint connects your lower jawbone to your skull. The temporomandibular joint helps you move your jaw up and down, side to side and forward and back. This allows you to bite, chew, swallow, speak and make facial expressions. You can develop a disease or disorder in this joint, which can lead to pain and difficulty moving the muscles in the face and jaw.

Identification

Temporomandibular joint disease, known as TMJD or simply TMJ, is a general phrase for several conditions that can affect the jaw joint, leading to pain in the jaw and in the tissues around the mouth. There may be restrictions in jaw movement. You may find it difficult to eat, talk and move the jaw in general. You may experience headaches or pain in the neck or shoulders. Your jaw may lock when you try to open your mouth. Some patients experience swelling in the face or clicking or grinding sounds when using the mouth. In some cases the cause of this condition remains unknown.

Arthritis

Having a form of degenerative arthritis in your jaw joint may cause TMJ. Having osteoarthritis in your jaw can lead to the displacement or dislocation of the disk that is located between the jawbone and the socket. This dislocated disk can lead to clicking, grating or popping sounds. It can limit jaw movement and cause pain when opening and closing your mouth. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, you may be at risk for parts of the jaw joint to become fused, which can completely prevent jaw movement.

Clenching or Grinding

When you grind or clench your teeth, you can wear away the cartilage that lines the temporomandibular joint. As this happens, bone rubs on bone and creates the symptoms of TMJ. This behavior may occur when you are sleeping, and you might not even realize you are doing it. Grinding and clenching your teeth tends to occur more if you are stressed. Your dentist can look for signs of wear and tear on the teeth. One clue that you are grinding or clenching your teeth is if you often get up in the morning with unexplained jaw or ear pain.

Improper Bite

Some patients notice that their bite does not feel right. If the teeth do not properly line up when biting, there may be excess stress on the chewing muscles. If this goes untreated, you may experience pain and spasms in the muscles around the jaw. In addition, the ligaments that hold the jaw in place can become overstretched and may be unable to stabilize jaw movement. This can cause the jaw to slide out of its socket.

Dental Procedures

Dental or other procedures that require you to use a breathing tube can lead to TMJ. When a breathing tube is inserted in your mouth, it's because of a health crisis, so your mouth must be opened quickly and widely in order to insert the tube. While the breathing tube is in, the jaw may remain open and fixed in place for a prolonged period of time. This can lead to an overuse injury of the jaw joint.

About the Author

I hold a Master's degree in exercise physiology/health promotion. I am a certified fitness specialist through the American College of Spots Medicine and an IYT certified yoga teacher. I have over 25 years experience teaching classes to both general public and those with chronic illness. The above allows me to write directly to the reader based on personal experiences.